Apparatus for locating sunken vessels



June 10, 1924.

1,496,883 J. IVORY APPARATUS FOR LOCATING SUNKEN VESSELS Filed Sept. 6. 1923 Patented June 10, 1924.

JESSIE IVORY, OF J'ONESBORO, ARKANSAS.

APPARATUS FOR LOGATIN'G SUNKEN VESSELS.

Application filed September 6, 1923. Serial No. 661,277.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEssIE IVORY, a citizen of the United States, residing at J onesboro, in the county of Craighead and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Locating Sunken Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for locating sunken vessels, one of its objects being to provide a simple and eflicient device which, when placed on the highest point of a vessel, will be held securely in position, the same being released solely when the vessel is submerged in which event a float forming a part of the structure will remain upon the surface of the water.

Another object is to provide means for maintaining a connection between the float and the sunken vessel.

ith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood, that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus forming the present invention, a portion of the boat structure on which it is mounted being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation.

Referring to the figures by clmracters of reference 1 designates supporting blocks or standards the upper ends of which are concaved as shown at 2 so as to form seats on which rest the end portions of a float 3. The float can be of any desired configuration and is preferably shaped as illustrated, it being circular in cross section and tapering toward its blunt circular ends.

A cable 4 is attached in any suit-able manner to the bottom portion of the float at the center thereof and is extended freely through an opening 0 formed in a part of the boat structure S. This cable can be of any suitable length and can be coiled in the boat structure so as to unwind readily, one

end of the cable being attached to the structure as shown at 8.

Eyes or keepers 5 are secured to and extend downwardly from the float and each of them is engaged by an arcuate finger 6 extending from the upper end of a locking lever 7. This lever is pivotally mounted as as 8 on the structure S and has an arm 9 extending therefrom and provided with a weight 10. The weight is formed of wood, cork, or any other suitable material that will float when submerged but which is sufliciently heavy to hold the finger 6 normally extended through the keeper 5 as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be apparent that under ordinary conditions the float 3 is held securely upon its supports 1. If the vessel on which the float is mounted should sink, the water when it reaches the float 10 will elevate it and cause the levers 7 to swing toward each other and thus withdraw the fingers 6 from the keepers 5.

Consequently the float 3 will remain on the surface of the water as the ship sinks and during this action the cable 4: will be withdrawn through the opening 0, the cable remaining fastened at all times to the boat at 8.

Obviously by providing apparatus of this character a sunken. wreck can be readily located.

Vhat is claimed is:-

In apparatus for locating sunken vessels the combination with a structure constituting a portion of a vessel, of supports thereon, a float normally mounted on the supports, a slack flexible connection between said structure and the float adapted to be paid out during the sinking of the vessel, keepers on the float, levers fulcrumed on the structure, fingers concentric with the fulcrums of the levers and extending from said levers, arms connected to the levers, and weights carried by arms for holding the fingers normally in engagement with the keepers, said weights constituting floats when partly submerged.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my siguature in the presence of two witnesses.

JESSIE IVORY. Witnesses:

FRANCES WATSON, ROSA LEIGH VVORLEY. 

